Happy Birthday, Cowboy!

Someone has a birthday today. I wonder who it is? It's my little Cowboy, who turns a big FIVE years old today!! Happy birthday, Farmer-cowboy-painter-daddy-builder-chef-explorer-prince-fireman and dear, sweet, wonderful boy.

It seems like just yesterday that I literally finished the last bite of my bowl of cereal (Lucky Charms, I think...not very healthy, I know, but it was what I was in the mood for) and the last page of a good book, then I started feeling funny, and the next thing I knew I was saying, "Honey, I think it is time to go to the hospital. We are going to have a baby today."

It was six weeks before he was due, and we certainly weren't ready (and we were worried that the baby wasn't ready), but little Cowboy was determined he was going to greet the world on September 11th, making it a day when something special was added to the world instead of a day we always remembered only as a time of loss.

Cowboy thankfully arrived with no trouble, and no complications, and was a model baby. Oh, so sweet and quiet (how things change...he is still very sweet, but not so quiet!) He went home with mom at the usual time, only to return to the hospital a week later for a week-long stay (with mom) due to jaundice.

Again, thankfully, the problem resolved itself and he returned home to the loving arms of mom, dad, two big brothers, and a big sister who was so excited to finally have her little brother at home.

She is still just as excited to have him around as she was back then, for Ladybug and Cowboy are now the best of friends. Little Firefly and Boo fit in, too, and the four of them are destined to have some great adventures.

Here is the adventure they were embarking upon yesterday.

Cowboy: "I am a Prince and (Ladybug) and (Firefly) are Princesses. That means that you are a Queen and Daddy is a King, right?"

Me: "Sure. I will like being a Queen today."

Cowboy: "What do you call the one who makes people laugh?"

Me: "The jester?"

Cowboy: "Yes. The Jester. Then (Bubba) is the Jester. Will he like that?"

Me: >laughing< "Oh, I am sure he will like that just fine, (Cowboy)."

Cowboy: "What will (Tex) be? He likes using his (practice) swords and he can protect us. What is that called? Oh yeah, a knight. (Tex) will be the knight and fight the dragons."

Me: "That sounds good. Who will be the dragons?"

Cowboy: "The dragons are the birds flying over our heads and trying to breathe fire on us. The chickens are lions trying to get us, and the dogs are monsters we have to fight!"

Me: "Sounds like a tough day, (Cowboy)."

Cowboy: "I like it! C'mon (Ladybug). Bye, Mommy!"

He then ran out the door with Ladybug and Firefly in his wake. Sadly, poor Prince Boo had to stay in and attend the Queen until a little later in the day, when we all went out with our protective armor on (the spray on kind that keeps the dragon-sized mosquitoes off) and took a tour of our mighty kingdom.

It was pretty neat to see how much fun they were having and to witness their endless imaginations at work. I just love watching kids play. It does make me wonder what happened to my imagination, though. When did I get to be so old that I find myself wondering how in the world they come up with this stuff?

Happy birthday, dear one. We sure do love you.

OXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Mom, Dad, Bubba, Tex, Ladybug, Firefly, and Boo.